The invention relates to a dehumidifying device for the dehumidification of a cavity, preferably the space between the glass sheets of a window.
For the dehumidification of a cavity, e.g. a room it is known to let the air to said room circulate through a hygroscopic agent, e.g. silica gel. Likewise, it is known that such a hygroscopic agent will gradually become water saturated and will have to be replaced or regenerated.
This is not a problem when dealing with dehumidication of rather large rooms such as a laboratory or part thereof. However, in dealing with an inaccessible cavity or a cavity where at least one of the dimensions is very limited, e.g. the space between the two glass sheets of a double glazing, it can be very difficult or impossible to perform replacement or regeneration of the moisture absorbing agent.
Furthermore, it is known that numerous technical solutions have for many years been proposed or used for keeping the intermediary space in a double glazing free from humidity. For various reasons, these different solutions work most frequently unsatisfactorily.
An important reason is that very often use is made of a hermetic seal designed for remaining tight during the whole lifetime of the window.
This seal cannot be repaired and even a microscopic puncture will spoil the properties of the window. This makes heavy demands on performing the sealing and the insulating power of the double glazing is greatly impaired along the seal.
Another reason is that the manufacturing itself of such windows presupposes a moisture-free atmosphere in the production hall or, at least, that it is dry air which is retained between the two glass sheets at the moment they are hermetically joined together which makes the manufacturing process difficult.
A third reason is to be found in ageing phenomena occurring in said agents, whereby the intended sealing often is only short-lived and from the moment where a leakage has occurred in the double glazing unit the penetrating moisture will result in the well-known phenomena: misting, accumulation of condensed water in the lower part of the window, etc.